My New Home, My New Life, And You
by Immortal Magic Freak
Summary: Merlin's fifteen and moves from Dublin to live with his godfather and godfather's friends in London. He befriends the daughter of his godfather's friends fairly quickly, but how will his friendship with their son Arthur begin? How will their friendship evolve? Especially since Merlin is only just starting Camelot secondary. Will Arthur continue to be a prat, or will he change? AU!
1. New Home

**Authors Note: ****HEYO! XD Please tell me what you think, I would love to know XD Please, please review XD**

**PLEASE NOTE: I've only seen series 1 of Merlin, since my mum hasn't got the rest of them yet – I'm working on it, don't worry :3 – so until then I shall do an AU fic XD My **_**FIRST EVER**_** AU FANFIC! XD **

**I own nothing and no one, apart from the following: Tommy.**

**Hope you enjoy ;)**

**Merlin**

I looked around Gatwick airport, searching the crowd of people. Why did it have to be so hard trying to find one person? He had to be somewhere; he said he would pick me up. But where was he?

"Merlin, my boy!" a voice called.

I spun around to my right, finding a sixty-eight year old man, with a small amount of white hair, making his way over to me.

"Uncle Gaius!" I grinned, hugging the old man.

Gaius was my godfather and a close friend of the family. He was a kind man, never turning his back on anyone that needed help. Which was why he had agreed to take me in and be my legal guardian, why he had asked the people he lived with if it was alright if they allow me to move in to. My mother needed someone who knew how to handle my...condition, as I've taken to calling it around people. Gaius was the only one we knew and trusted. She would have come with me, but we didn't have much money. Only had enough to get me a flight so I could move from Dublin, Ireland to London, England. But I wouldn't be able to take her away from her life back in Dublin. She was happy there, and I could deal with having to start over... I hoped.

"It's good to see you my boy. How are you?" Gaius asked, smiling, helping me with my bags.

"I'm fine. Great, actually." I replied. "You?"

"I'm keeping well. How's your mother?"

"Well, apart from the _extremely _emotional goodbye, she's doing just fine. She wanted me to give you this..."

I trailed off as I tried to find where I put the blasted envelope. My mother had handed it to me, telling me not to lose it and to hand it to Gaius when I arrived. But where did I put it again. I patted down and rummaged through the pockets of my black skinny jeans and my old, worn, brown jacket. I frowned slightly. I shifted my backpack – it was my carryon bag – off of my shoulder and unzipped it, rummaging through the main compartment and side pockets. I soon found it, shoved in-between the pages of one of the books I have for my condition – or as mother likes to call it, my 'special talent'. I handed the envelope over to Gaius with a grin, as we continued through the airport, towards the doors. Gaius just shook his head, chuckling lightly.

* * *

As the driver – yeah, driver, not Gaius, but a driver! – took us through the streets of London, I couldn't help but compare it to Dublin. Dublin was a divine place. The place was over flowing with nature: trees, rivers, flowers... Most of the buildings were low and there were so many parks it was unbelievable. London, on the other hand, had so many tall buildings, I felt like an ant, waiting to be stepped on. Sure it had a river, but not as nice as those in Dublin. The lights that lit up the early evening were slightly too bright, while those in Dublin cast a soft, gentle glow across the water and streets. But no matter the differences, London was beautiful.

We drove for a while. A _long_ while. Gaius was up front with the driver – who I found out was named Tommy –, while I sat in the back. Tommy was seven years older than me – me being fifteen, making him twenty-two. He had red hair and brown eyes, with a slight tan; average height and build. He seemed nice. During the drive, Gaius asked me question after question, finding out everything he had missed since he last saw me – which was when I was twelve. It was amazing how many questions he asked.

Soon, we pulled up to this magnificent mansion. I couldn't even call it a house! And I was to _live _here!

"Oh my God!" I breathed, as I stepped out of the car, hefting my backpack onto my shoulder, closing the door behind me. "Mum wasn't kidding when she said they were rich like royalty."

Gaius just rolled his eyes. I went to take my bags, when a woman came out of the house and help Tommy unload them, the pair of them taking them back to the house.

"Don't worry about these, sir. We'll put them in your room." the woman told me.

Flushing a little, I nodded. This was weird.

"They have _staff_." I said, refusing to say servants.

"Yes, they do. But they are fair to their workers." Gaius replied.

I gave it a few minutes for this to sink in, before I looked around. Private property. No neighbours. Giant mansion! All surround by woods, trees that stretched on and on. I couldn't keep the delight off of my face at seeing the forest. I loved the outdoors, especially when I could read in a tree. I started to walk off when a hand gripped my shoulder, steering me towards the house.

"You'll have time to explore later." Gaius chuckled. "Right now you have people to meet."

I sighed, nodding, giving a longing look at the forest of trees.

* * *

As we got closer to the house, three people walked out. A man, a women and a girl around my age.

"You must be Merlin." the eldest of the two women smiled, warmly. "I'm Ygraine."

"Gaius has told us a lot about you." the man added, shaking my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Uther."

I smiled, shyly. I wasn't really good with meeting new people. It scared the crap out of me, and all I wanted to do was run and hide. But I didn't, I kept myself together.

"It's nice to meet you both Mr and Mrs Pendragon." I greeted. "I would like to thank you both for letting me stay here."

"Please, Merlin, just call us by our first names. No need to be so formal, dear." Ygraine told me in a motherly tone.

"Good luck with that, Ygraine." Gaius spoke. "It will take a long while before he starts doing that."

"I'm getting better!" I protested, blushing furiously.

"Oh my God! You are so adorable!" the girl squealed, hugging me.

I stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do, flushing even more. The girl pulled back, a warm and gentle smile spread across her pale face, her dark black hair contrasting the fairness of her skin.

"Hi, I'm Morgana." she told me.

"It's nice to meet you, Morgana." I said, quietly.

She let out a high pitched 'aw'. Geez, I was going to be permanently red!

"Morgana, don't scare the poor boy." Uther sighed, trying not to laugh.

Ygraine ignored her husband and daughter, focusing more on me.

"I'm sorry our son Arthur wasn't here to greet you, he and three of his friends are out on a trip." Ygraine informed me.

I smiled, nodding. It didn't really worry me, I mean, the less people present, the better.

"Come, we'll show you around." Uther said.

Obediently, I followed the three adults and Morgana inside. Inside my new home.

* * *

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_**There will be more chapters XD**_

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	2. Wait And See

**Authors Note: HEYO! XD Please tell me what you think, I would love to know XD Please, please review XD**

**PLEASE NOTE: I've only seen series 1 of Merlin, since my mum hasn't got the rest of them yet – I'm working on it, don't worry :3 – so until then I shall do an AU fic XD My **_**FIRST EVER**_** AU FANFIC! XD **

**I have read **_**a lot **_**of Merthur fanfics, so I know of a few characters, so they'll be making an appearance... don't be mad if I write them wrong.**

**I own nothing and no one.**

**Hope you enjoy ;)**

**Merlin**

I was shown practically every room of the house. The room I wanted to explore that most was the library! I loved books, and they had so many! I had recognised a few that I had read, and others that I had wanted to read but didn't have time to or have. Ygraine and Uther had told me that I was welcome to borrow any book I wished. Apparently Gaius had spoken a lot about me over the past few years, even more so over the past few weeks. I tried to answer any and all questions that the three Pendragons had, I didn't want to seem rude, I was raised with manners. At times, I would run my fingers through my short, thick, black hair or even bit my lower lip – both nervous habits I had picked up from somewhere –, especially when particular questions popped up, such as: _'why did you decide to come to London?'_ And this is where I had to lie. I couldn't tell these people, however lovely they were, about my condition. They'd probably think I was a raving lunatic and have me locked up. Yeah, I'd rather that not happen any time soon. I blushed slightly, making Morgana take on a fond expression. She was a nice girl, really lovely. I was grateful that she had non-verbally stated that she was taking me under her wing.

"Truth is, I was born in London, and lived here until I was six." I admitted, much to their surprise. "Mum and I moved to Dublin a while after my dad died, wanting to start over. Dublin was the best place to go, since we had family over there, and mum had friends with kids my age. I've always wanted to come back. So, when mum and I were starting to struggle a bit, the only person we knew we could turn to was Gaius."

I flushed a deeper shade of pink, staring intently at the floor, just realising how much I had rushed that explanation, in order to get it all out without stuttering. I hate it when I stutter. Mum though it was cute, my friends though it was hilarious, some found it irritating, others found it as something to taunt me with, and few didn't care or voice their opinions. Gaius was the only – at the moment – that knew why I rushed to get it all said, and luckily the Pendragons didn't comment on it. I liked these people a _whole lot_ more.

* * *

On the third out of four floors of the mansion, Mr and Mrs Pendragon told me that my room was the only door on the right hand side, the door on the left being the son's room. I nodded, and they son left me to make myself feel more comfortable and get to know my surrounding by unpacking my things into my new room. Gaius had stayed for a moment, saying that he was glad to see me again and that he'd start researching how to start controlling my condition later that night. Words couldn't describe how grateful I was.

Morgana, on the other hand, came back after the adults had left. She had knocked on the closed door before walking in, not bothering to wait for a reply. I was in the middle of place my _many _books on the massive book shelf – seriously, it was floor to ceiling and had an actually moving ladder, like the one you saw in Beauty and the Beast, and was half the size of one of the massive walls, plus I had filled like half of it already. Honestly, my new room was _huge _and had a bathroom _attached _to it, like they did in hotels!

"Have you read all those books?!" Morgana asked, amazed, walking over to me.

I nodded my head slowly, suddenly feeling too shy to say anything. My shyness immediately got worse when someone I knew wasn't around me. That's why I could actually talk earlier, I had Gaius with me. Now, it was just Morgana and I.

"You know you can talk to me, Merlin." Morgana told me, kindly and gently. "You don't have to be shy. And don't worry, I'll introduce you to a few of mine and Arthur's friends, so then you know more than just me and him when we go back to school when the Christmas holidays are over."

Shit! I had forgotten all about that. Ygraine and Uther had gotten into Camelot secondary school. A private school. Where I would be starting on January 6th 2014, which was in ten days. Where I would stick out like a sore thumb. Where I would be judged even more than I was back in my school in Dublin. I smiled though, her offer sweet and sincere. It gave me a nice, fuzzy, warm feeling that someone I had just met was being so kind to me. And I had a feeling that it wasn't forced at all.

"Thank you, Morgana." I replied, quietly. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

"Don't worry about it, I can tell we're going to be great friends. Plus mine and Arthur's friends will just _love _you. Gwen and Freya, like me, will find you adorable. The three of us will help you out and show you around if the guys start being arrogant." Morgana told me with a smile, helping me unload my books and place them on the shelves. "Lancelot will play nice though. He's a sweet guy, wouldn't hurt a fly unless someone turns on his friends, so he'll get along fine with you. Percival, Elyan and Leon are alright, but they're always wary of new people, not knowing how they'll act, but you'll be fine, they won't give you trouble. Gwaine... Well, Gwaine is a flirt. He flirts with everyone and everything. As long as it's human and alive, he will flirt with it, no matter the gender. I'll warn you about that so it's not so much of a surprise to you when you do meet him."

"Noted."

A lot of information to take on at one time, but I was grateful for it. Especially since she gave me some warning on this Gwaine character. But there was one person she hadn't mentioned, which made me curious.

"Can you give me any warning on Arthur?" I asked, slightly nervous. "Just so I know what to expect when I do meet him."

Morgana placed one of my books on the shelf before leaning against it, arms folded, a small smile showing.

"Arthur... Arthur means well, at times. Especially when it comes to his friends. He teases, insults, annoys...he acts like an arse most of the time, but he's a big softie really." she said. "He pushes himself a lot, because father wants him to do his best at everything. Constantly showing what he can do and pushing himself to the limit. He feels the need to impress. Anyway, when he gets angry he gets angry. He only gets violent with certain people or people that attack him, otherwise he's quite docile. The rest you'll have to see for yourself."

I nodded. At least she was being honest with me, that was all I cared about.

"So, I have a question." Morgana stated. "If you're from Dublin, how come you don't have an Irish accent? You speak with an English one, not Irish."

I flushed a little.

"I can speak in both an Irish and English accent. I was so used to hearing my mum and dad speak to me in different accents that I picked both of them up. My Irish one has improved since living over in Dublin though." I explained. "I feel comfortable speaking with both accents, neither strain nor hurt my throat...but I really only ever speak with my Irish accent when talking to my mum, family from Ireland or friends from home. Otherwise it's English all the way."

"Can I hear your Irish accent?" Morgana asked, curiously.

I was reluctant at first, but after a bit of pleading, she finally got me to speak in my Irish way, only having to say the phrase 'Good afternoon, Morgana. How are you?' She just said that it was adorable and hugged me.

* * *

Morgana did end up leaving the room, allowing me to unpack the rest of my things in silence. I placed pictures on shelves, photo albums in draws. Stationary, notepads and drawing pads went in other draws, clothes put away. Everything had a place and everything was placed there. All tidy, all clean.

It wasn't long after when someone knocked on the door. I walked over to it, opening it with a small smile. The old woman on the other side, kindly informed me that lunch was being served – which I found quite weird – and that she would show me to the dining room. I nodded, and followed her, without question.

The dining room was nice. A simple room with a large table and many chairs. Beige painted walls with a wooden floor. A chandelier hung from the ceiling in the centre of the room, the sunlight that filtered in from the large double windows reflecting with the small crystals, casting shadows on the walls. On the other side of the windows, I saw the trees that created the outskirts of the forest. Oh, how I longed to walk through the trees. To sit in one of them, reading the day away. But that would have to wait for another day. For now, I had to get to know the people I was living with, meet a few of Arthur and Morgana's friends, get ready for going to a private school, and get to know the place where I was living. Right now, my schedule was too busy to go wandering through trees, no matter how tempting it was to do so.

"Merlin, dear, come take a seat." Ygraine beamed, as I walked through the door.

I returned the smile, seating myself next to Gaius at the table. I knew I would be asked more questions. But, surprisingly, I didn't mind. I liked these people. They were nice, kind, warm and, above all, _welcoming_. If I ever decided to share my secret with them – wither of them – I knew they'd be fine with it. Well, one they probably would... Still didn't know if they'd lock me up if I admitted my other one. Well, guess I had to wait and see.

* * *

_**Please, please review XD**_

_**Thanks XD**_


	3. Arthur

**Authors Note: HEYO! XD Please tell me what you think, I would love to know XD Please, please review XD**

**PLEASE NOTE: I've only seen series 1 of Merlin, since my mum hasn't got the rest of them yet – I'm working on it, don't worry :3 – so until then I shall do an AU fic XD My **_**FIRST EVER**_** AU FANFIC! XD **

**I have read **_**a lot **_**of Merthur fanfics, so I know of a few characters, so they'll be making an appearance... don't be mad if I write them wrong.**

**I own nothing and no one.**

**Hope you enjoy ;)**

**Merlin**

The next day – nine days until I was starting my new school –, I had decided to take a look around. I had met more of the staff in the house, insisting they call me by my name and not 'sir'. It gave me such a horrible feeling when they called me that, especially since they were all in their twenties or older. From the few staff members that I had run into and introduced myself too, I came to the conclusion that they were all really nice and genuine people. I had asked them a few questions, silly questions that mattered to no one but me. I asked them most about Arthur, though. I was to meet him later that day, when he and three of his friends arrived back from a camping trip they had decided to take. Each staff member had told me different things, each telling me of a different side of the guy. I knew the basics – name: Arthur Pendragon, age: sixteen like me...things like that. But the staff told me how he would act sometimes. Sure, I had been told a lot from Morgana, but it never hurt to learn a bit more. For example, at school, he had been sent home for having decided to take a punch at one of the students in his year. He never gave an explanation as of why he did that, though he apparently just said that 'he deserved it'. I was told a few stories, highlighting different parts of his personality, but I was not going to judge until I had met and actually spoken to him.

Until then, though, I had decided that the forest needed to be seen. So, I grabbed the book I was currently reading – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows...for the twentieth time – off of my bedside table, and quickly walked to the front door, breaking out into a run as soon as I was outside. I loved the outdoors. The smell of rain, watching as it stormed on. The wind through the leaves and my hair, like a soft caress, as it rushed passed. The sound of rivers, lakes and brooks. I loved nature. Was I sounding like a girl? Shrugging to myself, I walked into the forest, keeping close to the edge. I found a nice tree, low, yet the trunk still thick, curved. Perfect. Grinning, I strolled over to the curved trunk, sitting on the surprisingly comfortable bark, leaning back against it. I shifted into a comfortable position before I opened the book to where I last left off from. I was at the part where Harry and Hermione were in Godric's Hollow, when they were in the graveyard. I loved the Godric's Hollow scene in the movie – only because when I saw it back in Dublin with my friends, my best friend Will had freaked out and screamed when Nagini jumped up from where she was hidden...even though I had warned him. It was hilarious. I sighed happily as I started to read. Reading gave me the escape I needed from everything. From the world around me. From the people in it. And, most importantly, from myself. I loved the times were I could just lose myself in a book, getting dragged into the story and forgetting everything that was going on around me. It was the only time I could escape from my...condition. Not even in sleep could I do that, considering the dreams I would have every other night. But for now, I could allow myself this small thing.

* * *

I had no idea how long I was in the forest, but, the next thing I knew, I heard voices.

"Arthur, son, how was your trip?" I heard Uther's voice say.

"It was good, father. Glad to be home, though." a voice I didn't recognise – but was obviously Uther and Ygraine's son, Arthur – reply.

He sounded nice enough, and I was already assured by Morgana that he was a big softie really. I didn't really know if I was up for meeting someone new right now, but that wasn't really my choice. Morgana and Gaius both new where I was, and Morgana would accompany Arthur if they came looking for me in the forest – I only knew this because she had told me. So, not really wanting to make the meeting sooner, I stayed put and continued in my reading. It was so easy to drown out the voices, not that you could call them voices now. It had turned into a low murmur that I could barely hear, as I was dragged back into the magical world created by the wonderfully talented J.K. Rowling. I rearranged my position, so I was lying propped up on my left side, facing away from the forest.

What I assumed to be, about, twenty minutes later, I heard voices and footsteps coming closer. I glanced at the watch on my right wrist, noting that it was only half past ten. Huh, I'd been in the forest, reading, for two hours. Talk about time flies. I still couldn't make out the voices, the book completely taking over my brain, creating a thick fog that made it hard for me to find reality again. Until I heard someone call my name.

"Merlin! There you are." Morgana smiled, sweetly, skipping over to me and perching on the edge of the tree trunk. "I was calling for you, didn't you hear?"

"Sorry." I grinned, both sheepishly and shyly, lifting the book slightly as I sat up and crossed my legs. "Reading."

Morgana gave me a one armed hug, which I still tensed at, a little.

"You really are too adorable." she told me. "Anyway, not here for that. Merlin, this is my brother, Arthur. Arthur, this is Gaius' godson, our new housemate and our new friend, Merlin."

I looked up to where she gestured. If I didn't catch it in time, I swear my jaw would have dropped! Light grey-blue eyes; short, yet thick, blonde hair, his fringe covering part of his forehead as it hung down; a slight tan on his pale skin, God knows from where, England isn't known for the sun. He had the look of a little rich boy and, looking at him, you wouldn't expect him to have family as nice and kind as he did – hopefully the same could be said about him. His gorgeously, handsome face remained expressionless as he looked me up and down. I could feel the heat rising to my face, as in I could _literally _feel my cheeks getting warmer! Damn it! It was all made worse with what he was wearing – black skinny jeans and a light blue t-shirt...both of which fitted him _very_ well. Thank God I had practice with hiding what I was thinking or feeling. I would happily admit in my head that he was hot, but out loud...pfft, _never_! So, I just smiled – albeit shyly – and gave a little, awkward wave.

"So, you're the Irish kid?" Arthur asked.

I couldn't suppress rolling my eyes. Still crossed legged, I leant back against the tree trunk again, shrugging and nodding.

"He has a name Arthur." Morgana sighed.

"You don't speak much, do you?" Arthur commented, ignoring his sister.

"Not really." I muttered, quietly.

"Mother already told you he's shy." Morgana said. "It's obvious Merlin won't speak much."

"Whatever." was Arthur's bored replied. "Anyway, so _Mer_lin, you're coming with us tomorrow to meet the guys and the girls, I guess Morgana's already warned you about them."

"Yes, I have." Morgana grinned. "And until then, we're going to get you to know you better, Merlin."

It wasn't even a request, it was a tone of voice I knew well from my friends back in Dublin. It was then that Arthur walked forward, leaning against a tree near Morgana. This would be interesting.

* * *

_**Please review XD**_

_**Thanks XD**_


	4. Maybe Not So Bad

**Authors Note: HEYO! XD Please tell me what you think, I would love to know XD Please review XD**

**PLEASE NOTE: I've only seen series 1 of Merlin, since my mum hasn't got the rest of them yet – I'm working on it, don't worry :3 – so until then I shall do an AU fic XD My **_**FIRST EVER**_** AU FANFIC! XD **

**I have read **_**a lot **_**of Merthur fanfics, so I know of a few characters, so they'll be making an appearance... don't be mad if I write them wrong.**

**I own nothing and no one, apart from the following: Liam, Noah, Johnny, Cayden, Gray, Tyson, Christa, Tiana (Ti), Jessie and Susannah (Suze).**

**Hope you enjoy ;)**

**Merlin**

Arthur didn't really speak much. His sentences were short; sometimes they only consisted of one word. He left it up to Morgana to ask the questions, only speaking when I asked him and Morgana the same question. With such small answers, it was hard to form an opinion on the boy in front of me. With anything he answered, Morgana would roll her eyes and elaborate a little for me. Well, it depended on what question really. For example, when I had asked what their favourite book series were, Arthur just gave the name. Morgana had then taken it upon herself to tell me how many times Arthur had read the books, what his opinions on them were, and all about the arguments the two had when comparing their favourite series.

I liked Morgana; she was a really great friend, even if I _had_ only met her yesterday. It was a shame that she was in the year _above _Arthur and myself, so I wouldn't be able to see her all that much during school. It would be a shame if I got on with Leon and Elyan like I did Morgana too, since they were in her year. Here's hoping I got on fine with Freya, Gwen, Gwaine, Percival and Lancelot. Huh, Lancelot. Funny, I had a friend called Lancelot in England, before I moved to Dublin. We kept in contact that whole time I was away, and I told him just moments after I found out that I would be returning to England. He was, also, the only one that guessed both of my secrets – my mother and Gaius knowing from when I was born, and I told my friends from Dublin. But...it couldn't be the same Lancelot. Could it? Was the Lancelot Morgana and Arthur knew the Lancelot I knew? No, no, couldn't be.

"So, what about school?" Morgana asked. "What was it like back in Dublin? What was it called?"

"I went to Ealdor. It was a primary and secondary school, as well as a sixth form. It was fairly small, but I liked it. Everyone knew everyone; we all pretty much got along." I replied, a little more confidently than I had spoken at the beginning of our conversation. "Classes were small too, but I preferred that; I'm not good when around a large group of people I don't know."

"What lessons did...well, _do_ you like?"

"That's easy. Music, English and Drama. In that order."

Morgana grinned, slowly turning towards Arthur.

"Well, what a co-inky-dink." she giggled. "Arthur just so happens to like the same. Though, he also has this weird love for PE that I just don't get."

"My friend Liam's the same." I laughed. "The only person that can drag him away from _anything_ sports related is his boyfriend, Noah."

"Ok, now you have to tell us about your friends!"

I laughed again before doing as Morgana asked. I told her everything. I said how back in Dublin, I had eleven friends: Will, Liam, Noah, Johnny, Christa, Cayden, Tiana (Ti), Gray, Jessie, Tyson and Susannah (Suze). Will and I were the only singles in our group of friends, the others pairing off – Liam and Noah, Johnny and Christa, Cayden and Tiana, Gray and Jessie, Tyson and Susannah. I was actually the reason that Liam – my blonde haired, violet eyed, friend – ended up with Noah – dyed, dark purple hair and brown eyes speckled green. They both came to me confessing they were gay and had feelings for the other when we were thirteen, both within days of each other. I had tried for five months to get those two together, telling them how the other felt, not that they believed me. I ended up locking them in a room, yelling through what they had told me – which resulted in them starting to yell at me saying I promised not to tell, before they ended up asking each other what they had just said. They ended up going on their first date the next night. The rest of my friends got together on their own, while Will just dated anyone that agreed for a short amount of time.

Will – light brown hair and grey-blue eyes – was my first friend over in Dublin. Our mum's knew each other and we became quick friends. I stuck with him when I started at Ealdor, and introduced me to Liam, who became my next friend. Will was the first one I told about my condition and the third to find out my other secret. He had promised to keep both of them to himself – though he didn't have to after I mentioned them both to out other friends.

Noah was taller than Liam, but wasn't athletically built. Noah preferred dancing, writing and drama to sports, unlike Liam who played football – football is what we in the UK call soccer – and played the electric guitar. Noah was more of a joker than Liam was, but he was a whole lot more sensitive. Liam was a little more responsible, he was still a little sensitive but not as much as Noah. Liam and Noah were second and third to be told of my condition, but the first and second to know of my other secret. It was only because they could help me more that they were the first to know.

Johnny – light red head with green eyes – was a clown and liked to tease – especially if it was me –, was on the football team with Liam, Will, Cayden, Gray and Tyson, and played the drums. Though, it dialled down when he started dating Christa – dark skin tone, dark brunette with hazel eyes. Christa was bright and bubbly, but get on her bad side and you knew it. Thinking about it, she and Morgana would get along great! There was no doubt about that.

Cayden – brunette, dark brown eyes, almost black – played the piano. He was one of those people where, if he heard the song, he could work out the chords and play it. It was amazing actually. He also had the worst brought out of him by Johnny. Thankfully, Tiana (Ti) – blonde, black eyes – was always there to help out and calm him down before it got too out of hand. She was a sweet girl, always ready to lend a hand if you need help with anything, which was good for me.

Gray – dirty blonde, almost brown hair and amber eyes – was a dancer as well, but was more hip-hop. He was a great dancer, always showing off with Noah and Tyson. He actually helped teach ten to fourteen year olds to do hip-hop. Jessie – dark red hair and glassy blue, almost Husky blue, eyes – loved that about him. The fact that he was so willing to help. Jessie was a quiet girl, until you go to know her and was an amazing friend. She was always smiling and happy, not to mention quick with a comeback. It was always fun bantering with her; she was like a sister to me.

Tyson – darker skin tone than Christa, light black hair and eyes with a spectrum of colours. He was also a dancer, but preferred break dance. He was brilliant at it and, like Gray, taught younger people – though he taught age's six to ten. Susannah – light blonde hair and grey eyes – was awesome! Like Christa, she would get on famously with Morgana. The three of them being so opinionated and head strong. Susannah was one of the toughest girls I knew, but could still be fairly girly. And you couldn't forget her immense skills when it came to kickboxing!

All eleven of my friends were protective, more so of me. God knows why, I mean out of the twelve of us, I was one of the oldest. The girls always acted like older sisters to me though, always taking my side in arguments and making the guys back down – though I kind of cheated since all four girls in the group absolutely loved me, and I could easily get them on my side with a little puppy-dog look.

"I haven't met them, but I like the sound of your friends." Morgana smiled.

I sighed, happily.

"They're great." I agreed. "I'm going to miss them."

"_Merlin! Where are you, my boy?"_ I heard Gaius call.

Smiling and sighing, I jumped off of the tree, picking my book up.

"Well, gotta run." I grinned. "It was nice starting to get to know you both...and thanks."

"For what?" Arthur asked.

I completely forgot he was there until he spoke. I didn't reply, just smiled widely at the pair of them before running off to see Gaius. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

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	5. Mam

**Authors Note: ****HEYO! XD Please tell me what you think, I would love to know XD Please, please review XD**

**PLEASE NOTE: I've only seen series 1 of Merlin, since my mum hasn't got the rest of them yet – I'm working on it, don't worry :3 – so until then I shall do an AU fic XD My **_**FIRST EVER**_** AU FANFIC! XD **

**I have read **_**a lot **_**of Merthur fanfics, so I know of a few characters, so they'll be making an appearance... don't be mad if I write them wrong.**

**I own nothing and no one.**

**Hope you enjoy ;)**

**Arthur**

Morgana and I watched as the skinny kid ran off, back towards the house. Seriously, he was skinnier than a matchstick! Ok, maybe I was exaggerating a little, but I swear he must be something wrong with him if he was that thin! Not to mention he was so pale! Then again he _was _from Ireland... The colour of his skin was a blinding contrast to the darkness of his thick brown hair, which concealed his forehead. The same couldn't be said his ears though. They stuck out on the side of his head like the elephant, Dumbo...but they suited him. The skinny black jeans he wore seemed too big for him, even though he had a belt on, but somehow fit him perfectly. The red t-shirt he wore seeming to drown him out completely. His deep blue eyes were intense, hiding something... I didn't know what he was hiding, all I knew was he was keeping something a secret. To be honest, if Gaius had shown us a picture of this kid of what he looked like now, I would have happily stayed at home and not have gone on the camping trip.

"Did you have to be so rude?!" Morgana demanded, after a few moments.

"What?" I asked, sitting down next to my sister on the tree trunk.

"They way you spoke to and acted with Merlin. Did you have to be so rude?!"

"I was _not _rude, Morgana!"

"Oh, so _that's _why _I _had to answer _for you_! God Arthur, it's hard enough for poor Merlin, only moving back to England yesterday! He doesn't need one of the _strangers _he's living with to be a complete arrogant arse to him! It wouldn't hurt you to be nice and to be his friend, you know."

"First of all, I was _not _being an arrogant arse! Second of all, why do you care so much? You only met him yesterday!"

Morgana glared at me for a moment. Muttering something about me under her breath.

"Merlin's...different." she replied, slowly, as if trying to work it out herself. "I don't know what it is about him, but... I don't know. Besides, he's too damn adorable, it's hard not to care! You'd have to be heartless not to! Even _father _likes him, had from the moment he met Merlin."

Wow. Father liked this kid – I know I shouldn't really say 'kid', he was only a few months younger than me...but that's beside the point. Father always took a while to come round to the idea of accepting new people. It took him five months to finally be alright with mine and Morgana's friends, eight and a half months when it came to new staff and a year and three quarters until he came around to the idea of accepting anyone that he didn't know though family or staff – hence why Morgana and I were surprised with Merlin being accepted by him on their first meeting. Well, at least we didn't have to worry about mother scolding father again for the next twenty-one months.

"I know what you mean by different, I got that too," I nodded. "And I repeat, I was _not _nor will I ever be an arrogant arse. Honestly Morgana, where's your faith in me gone?"

I grinned as I stood up, starting to walk back to the house. I heard a sigh from behind me, finding Morgana falling into step beside me in ten seconds.

"I do have a question though." I said. "If he's from Dublin, why does he have an English accent?"

* * *

**Merlin**

I ran all the way back to the house, gripping the book in my right hand. I saw Gaius standing by the front door, smiling as I came closer. Gaius was great, I had always loved seeing him when I was a kid, asking him to show me some magic tricks. He always had a new one to show me. Mum had said that he shouldn't be giving me any ideas, that it would encourage me to unveil my condition and have me restrained or put on show. He was always a kind old man, strict when he needed to be, but still great. After my dad died, he was the only male role model I had left in my life, but I couldn't have asked for anyone better. I couldn't ask for a better role model, a better godfather, a better guardian or a better friend. Gaius was just brilliant.

I came to a stop in front of him, panting hard like a dog, grinning madly. He chuckled, letting me get my breath back.

"You called?" I asked, still grinning.

"Yes, your mother wants to speak to you. She's going to ring you at any moment, my boy." Gaius smiled.

I was ecstatic. I know I hadn't been away from her long, but I missed my mum. I missed hugging her and saying goodnight. I missed waking up and hearing her sing, softly, when she thought no one was around. I just missed her. I beamed up at Gaius, pushing part of my fringe out of my eyes as a small gust of wind blew past. Gaius was about to talk when my mobile rang.

"I'll leave you to it, Merlin." Gaius chuckled, walking back inside.

I fished around in my pockets, searching desperately for the device. I ended up dropping it twice, both times had it landing on the grass. In the end I lay down, answering the call, putting it on loud speaker and laying it on my chest, all so I didn't drop it..._again_!

"Mam!" I breathed, happily, slipping into my Irish accent now I was talking with my mum. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, dear." mum's voice replied. "How are _you_? How are you finding it so far? I know you've not even been there a day, but I know what you're like, Merlin."

"I'm good, mam. Better for hearing your voice. It's actually really nice over here, the Pendragons are lovely. When uncle Gaius said that they'd be happy to meet me, I didn't think he meant, you know, literally..."

"Merlin, believe it or not son, you are a very likable person. Just like your father was. Everybody loved him. It shouldn't come as a surprise to you that these people like you."

"I'm going to give in now, because you'll only win. I will say, I wasn't expecting Morgana, their daughter, to hug me... She's really nice actually, would get along _great _with Christa and Suze!"

"From what Gaius has told us about the Pendragons, I would expect so."

I laughed. Mum was always the best person to talk to. It hurt knowing that I wouldn't be able to talk to her every day, face to face. Mum had always been there for me, getting the two of us back of track after dad died. She never asked for help...only this time we had been _really _desperate. I was proud of my mum, and I told her whenever I could. I had promised myself that I would repay her. I would get good grades, go to university, get a good job and help her out. She would probably refuse, try and say she didn't need it...but she knew I was stubborn.

"I really miss you, mam." I said, quietly, smiling sadly. "You wouldn't believe how much."

"I miss you too, sweetie." mum laughed. "This is will be the longest and furthest you've ever been from me."

"I know, mam. I can't wait until I can see you again."

Mum and I talked for an hour and a half, just talking. We had always done that, just talked to each other about anything and everything. I could trust her with any secret of mine. She was the best mum I could ever have and I wouldn't swap her for another. All my friends loved her too, said she was amazing – not in a creepy way. I totally agreed with them. My mum had always been great.

* * *

**Arthur**

Morgana had explained about the accent situation before we got near the house, in time to hear Merlin start talking with his mother on his phone. It was strange hearing him talk in the accent, when only a few minutes before he had an English accent. Was it bad that I liked hearing him speak all Irish-y so much? Or was that completely normal?

"He is just so adorable!" Morgana sighed, smiling.

"As you keep saying, Gana." I told her, trying hard to sound bored instead of...whatever _this_ feeling was.

"It's not my fault! Honestly, he is just so sweet and naive."

"Hey, remember you're with Leon. Don't go crushing on our new housemate."

My sister glared at me a little, not that it affected me anymore.

"Oh, shut up, Arthur. Besides, I'm pretty sure Merlin's gay." she replied, giving me a knowing look.

Morgana walked off then, walking towards Merlin, who was now just lying on the grass, mobile back in the right hand pocket of his jeans. I stood there for a moment, processing what she had done.

"Wait... What?!" I called, running after her.

How the hell would she know that? What was with the look? _God, _sisters!

By the time I reached Morgana, she was on the grass with Merlin, talking happily. My sister annoyed me, so much. I just stood there, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jeans, as I watched as Merlin laughed with my sister. Merlin glanced at me, smiling a little as he did, before looking away again. They weren't kidding when they said he was shy. When Morgana looked at me, she rolled her eyes, took my arm and yanked me down onto the grass with the pair of them. I got my hands out of my pockets in time to catch myself before I head butted the ground. I noticed that now, on the ground, I was sitting closer to Merlin. Sitting as close as I was now, I could see the golden sparks that would sometimes sparkle in his dark ocean blue eyes. It was..._unusual_ to say the least. I could see the light purple bags under his eyes, looking darker as they contrasted against his paler than ice skin – well, it was, until he started to blush. God, he was such a _girl_...he would fit in well with us.

* * *

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	6. Old Friends and New

**Authors Note: ****HEYO! XD Please tell me what you think, I would love to know XD Please review XD**

**PLEASE NOTE: I've only seen series 1 of Merlin, since my mum hasn't got the rest of them yet – I'm working on it, don't worry :3 – so until then I shall do an AU fic XD My **_**FIRST EVER**_** AU FANFIC! XD **

**I have read **_**a lot **_**of Merthur fanfics, so I know of a few characters, so they'll be making an appearance... don't be mad if I write them wrong.**

**I own nothing and no one.**

**Hope you enjoy ;)**

**Merlin**

I didn't know how I was going to survive this. I mean, meeting new people was scary! It took me a month, sometimes more, to relax around people – unless someone I knew was part of the group, then it would only take a few days or a few weeks. But the possibility of someone I knew being friends with Morgana and Arthur were very slim. Slimmer than me! I just hoped I didn't have a panic attack.

To make things easier, they were coming to the house, so then if I needed to run away, I could just go up to my room. But hopefully it wouldn't resort to that. Then again, the things they were telling me about Gwaine I may be close to running before they even arrived.

"Don't worry too much though, Gwaine means well." Morgana assured me, as we sat on the grass outside the house. "Besides, I don't think Percival will allow him to scare you."

I cocked my head to the side, a little confused by the statement. Why Percival?

"Percival and Gwaine are going out." Arthur explained, noticing my confusion.

"Ok, makes more sense." I grinned, English accent in place today – like I said, my Irish accent only came out when I was talking to my mum, or my friends/family members from Dublin.

"They should be here in a minute, Gwen just texted saying they're just up the road." Morgana announced, suddenly.

Oh great, now I was really scared. Lots of people in one space... Oh, I could feel the panic rising already. _Ok, God Merlin, calm down! _I tried to keep the worry off of my face, keeping my expression as neutral as possible. I could feel something serge through my veins, making my heart thrum. I felt light headed as the air around acquired a slight sweetness to it as I inhaled, the urge to lie down too overwhelming to ignore. I slumped backwards, staring up at the sky as the cotton ball like clouds drifted by. I sighed. I liked watching the clouds, it made me relax, it made everything so peaceful. Mum and I used to watch the clouds all the time back in Dublin. She would put a picnic together, we'd walk through the woods until we found a field, we'd eat and pack everything up before lying back on the picnic blanket to watch the clouds, trying to make shapes out of them. Mum always created stories based on the shapes she would see. My favourite was the one with the prince and the warlock commoner, who loathed each other, at first, until the wizard saved the prince and then became friends. She first told me that story during our first few weeks of being in Dublin. I remember that I was worry about not fitting in with any of the other kids and not making any friends, and after she told me the story she said '_Even the most unlikely two can become friends, Merlin. Just remember that._'

I smiled thinking about my mother's wise words, as I gave made shapes out of the clouds. One actually looked like a wizard's hat! Couldn't help but laugh at the hilarity of seeing the pointed object. I sighed a little, starting to calm down and relax. I mean, maybe this wouldn't be _so_ bad.

* * *

"Morgana, Arthur!" voices yelled.

I jerked awake, though when I fell asleep I didn't know. Slowly sitting up, I saw a group of seven walking towards the house. Morgana and Arthur had jumped up straight away, heading over to their friends, while I continued to sit where they had left me. I didn't know if I was supposed to follow them or stay where I was, all I knew was that I didn't want to stay this low down. I pushed myself off of the ground, standing where I was once seated, staring down at the flattened green grass, nervously. I heard the laughter and loud conversation, but I couldn't make out what any of them were saying...not that it was any of business anyway.

Before I knew what was happening, I had ended up walking to my right, towards the forest. I don't know why I was suddenly walking towards it, all I knew was that I had to move, and I didn't really feel like walking towards strangers. No one noticed that I had started walking, luckily, so no one stopped me. I didn't walk into the forest, like I wanted to. No, I stopped at the edge, sitting down underneath on of trees. I leant back against the bark, closing my eyes. I felt the slight breeze brush past my face, gently caressing my cheeks. I smiled a little, remembering the wind that used to rush past me back in Dublin, as my friends and I sat by one of the rivers running through the town. I was so caught up in all the memories – the fun, the laughter, the jokes, the pranks – that I didn't notice my name being called, until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I snapped back to reality with a startled jerk, the back of my head colliding with the bark of the tree with a loud _thud_. I winced slightly, bringing my hand up to rub at the bump that would surely form.

"Sorry, you were just kind of...spacey." Morgana apologised, offering me a hand.

"It's fine." I replied, with a small smiled, as I pulled myself up. "My fault."

Once standing properly, I dropped Morgana's hand. I risked a glance at the people behind her, before immediately dropping my gaze to the emerald green coloured ground, staring at it intently. Up close two of the guys were tall. _Very _tall. My eyes widened slightly as I gulped nervously, bringing a hand up to rub at the back of my neck awkwardly. I shifted on the spot as I felt them al staring at me, subconsciously judging me. _This would be so much worse if they knew what I was! _I bit my lip as that thought crossed my mind and my gaze flicked up to them all, momentarily. I heard three different female voices – Morgana and the other two obviously being Gwen and Freya – 'aw', and my face flushed a light pink as I ducked my head down further.

A hand was suddenly shoved into my sight. I startled a little and the hand was pulled back slightly, before I looked up into the dark brown eyes of the paler girl. Her dark hair fell in waves down her back and over her shoulders, framing her face. She was just shorter than me, slim and fairly pretty, I would admit. She smiled, kindly.

"Hi, I'm Freya." she told me, her voice soft as she spoke.

"Hello." I replied, quietly, shaking her hand.

Another girl stepped forward, standing beside Frey, though still slightly behind her.

"Hello, I'm Gwen." she smiled.

Gwen, like my friend Christa, had a darker skin tone. Her dark hair fell in natural curls, part of it tied up while the rest fell effortlessly down her neck. Her brown eyes were of a slightly lighter colour than Freya's, but still a nice shade. She was also slim and fairly pretty, but she was – at least – a head shorter than Freya and I.

I waved, awkwardly, my hand barely moving, but Gwen still noticed the movement. The next to step up was one of the _really tall _guys. He had dirty blonde hair that curled slightly at the base of his neck, covering his ears as strands curled against his face. He had glassy green eyes and had slightly tanned skin like Arthur. He looked me up and down before nodding once, a jerky movement of his head, before extending a hand.

"Leon." he told me simply.

Before I got the chance to reply, another one of the guys – this one of my height – stepped forward.

"Elyan, Gwen's older brother." Elyan's skin tone was a little darker than his sisters, as was his eye colour; his hair short and only covering the top of his head.

"Percival." the other _very tall _guy said – grey eyes, brunette hair cut close to his head and a prominent jaw line.

"Gwaine." another close to my height coming to stand by Percival – _so that's the couple _–, with dark – almost black – hair waving down and resting just above his shoulders as they covered his ears and curled against his cheeks like Leon's, and light – almost see through – hazel eyes and a pale complexion.

Then came the last person, who was also of a similar height to me – thankfully! My eyes went wide as I took in his dark brown hair, chocolate brown eyes, heavily tanned skin and friendly expression. How could I forget a face – or look – like that?! I couldn't help but let my jaw fall open and eyes widen, as the edges of my mouth curled up slightly.

"Lancelot du Lac." I grinned. "Long time, no see."

Lance's eyes snapped up, curious gaze meeting mine. For a moment it looked as if he was wondering how the hell I knew who he was and what I was going on about. But then recognition set in and his grin matched mine as he stepped forward.

"Hey, Magic." my friend laughed, he being one of the only ones to know of my magic and my other secret – he guessed both, the smart bastard. "Nice to see you in the real world and _not _through a computer screen."

"Ditto." I beamed. "You cut your hair."

"I did. You've gotten shyer."

"Shut the hell up, it's not my fault!"

"Oh, you love it."

"Didn't then, still don't know."

Lance just grinned as he dragged me towards him, pulling me into a 'man hug'. It was great seeing him in person after all these years, having to put up with talking to each other over Facebook or Skype for the past few years.

"You lied to me." I said as we released each other.

"What?" Lance asked, suddenly alarmed.

"When we were kids, I remember you saying that you'd never go to one of those 'stuck up, posh, arrogant, pompous, private schools."

"Oh, come one, mate! I was six! I only person I had met that went to one of those schools was a dick, you can't blame me for forming an opinion based on him when I was _six_!"

I just laughed at my friend as he whined. Man, had I missed him.

At the same time, we both became aware of the people behind us, staring at us in shock and surprise.

"So, you two know each other." Morgana nodded, coming to first. "How?"

Lance and I shared a look, his eyes – and probably mine too – glinting mischievously.

"Well, like I said, I was born in London and lived here until I was six." I explained. "My mum and dad started me off at nursery when I was two, so I could start to interact with other kids and stuff."

"That's where we met." Lance took over, grinning impishly. "We both decided it would be fun to flood the toilets. We ended up having to sit in a corner away from the other kids."

"From then on we were friends."

"_Best _friends, thank you very much."

"Sorry, K-RT."

"K-RT?" Freya asked, frowning slightly.

Lance chuckled at the old nickname.

"Knight of the Round Table." he explained. "I call Merlin 'Magic' because in the Arthurian legends the sorcerer is named Merlin."

"I call him K-RT, or 'Knight of the Round Table', because..." I started.

"I'm a knight in shining armour."

"No. Because it was the first thing that came to mind and the only thing left, apart from the prince, but that would have been weird. Hence K-RT."

They all stared at Lance and me – probably staring at me because of how I went from wanting to crawl into a hole and hide to suddenly not being able to shut up. It was during these few moments of silence that I really looked at the group, noticing how Gwen and Lance stood next to each other and looked at each other. Suddenly all the conversations Lance and I had had about a certain someone all made sense.

"Oh!" I sighed, in realisation, talking to Gwen, the slight pinkish colour of my cheeks darkening and spreading. "So you're the one Lance has been talking about all this time! Wow, you think I would have figured it out when you said your name was Gwen. Lance has told me a lot about you, it's nice to finally be able to meet you in person."

Gwen blushed, glancing up at Lance. Lance looked like a deer caught in the headlights, as the rest of the group laughed. I felt an arm land heavily on my shoulders. Looking to the left, I found Gwaine beaming at me.

"You, my friend, will get along great with us." Gwaine told me, matter of fact-ly. "Just do me a favour and embarrass Lance-y here in front of his girlfriend a lot more when we're around."

I smiled a little, the colour of my face darkening even more and spreading further as I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I can do that." I replied.

Gwaine raised his hand and ruffled my hair before everyone started talking and asking me a boatload of questions. I really had no idea what I was so worried about.

* * *

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	7. School Time

**Authors Note: ****HEYO! XD Please tell me what you think, I would love to know XD Please review XD**

**PLEASE NOTE: I've only seen series 1 of Merlin, since my mum hasn't got the rest of them yet – I'm working on it, don't worry :3 – so until then I shall do an AU fic XD My **_**FIRST EVER**_** AU FANFIC! XD **

**I have read **_**a lot **_**of Merthur fanfics, so I know of a few characters, so they'll be making an appearance... don't be mad if I write them wrong.**

**I own nothing and no one, apart from the following: Tommy.**

**Hope you enjoy ;)**

**Merlin**

For the rest on the small amount of time we had left of the holidays, I spent practically every waking hour with Arthur, Morgana, Lancelot, Gwen, Gwaine, Percival, Freya, Leon and Elyan. Since I knew that Lancelot was the Lancelot I knew, it was a hell of a lot easier to relax around the group and get to know them, and vice versa. The seven mainly came to Arthur and Morgana's – and now my – home, all of us lounging around on the grass if it wasn't too cold or wet, otherwise we took the living room hostage. I remembered the warnings Morgana had given me about the guys, so when Gwaine became flirty I was prepared. It was funny; Percival just shook he head as he watched his boyfriend act like this... I guess he was probably used to it and realised that, to Gwaine, it was harmless, and trusted Gwaine enough not to do anything with the people he flirted with. Morgana was right about Freya and Gwen too, both found me 'adorable' and the three girls had basically started acting like big sisters to me. It was rather nice, actually. Percival, Leon and Elyan on the other hand seemed to warm up to me quickly though. Morgana had said that they were wary of new people, not knowing how they would act, but they didn't seem wary of me. They were completely fine with me. Though, that may have had something to do with my friendship with Lancelot.

It wasn't long before the 6th January 2014 was upon us, meaning it was my first day at Camelot secondary school. I found it strangely funny how Arthur, Morgana and I – all of us with names from the Arthurian legends – went to a school called Camelot. The name of the Kingdom that King Arthur ruled. I grinned at that thought while eating breakfast, explaining it to Morgana when she asked why I was laughing. She just giggled and said I was '_too cute for my own good_'. I didn't really know why she thought that, or if that was a good thing, so I just shrugged it off. I was glad that I was finding something to keep my thoughts off of being the new kid at a private school. A place where people would _know _I don't belong.

* * *

The school, apparently, let its students wear their own clothes, which meant it would be easy for people to tell that I really didn't belong there. Somehow, and I don't know how, people could judge that just on the clothes you wore. I didn't think such a thing was possible, but it had happened to me a few times in the past. Today, I had decided to go for black ratty old jeans, a blue t-shirt, old worn out trainers, my brown jacket and a red neckerchief-scarf-thing. The scarf thing used to belong to my dad, as well as the blue one I owned. He had given them to me before he died; they were precious to me. I put my watch on my right wrist, and a bracelet that my mum had given me on my left – it had a thick rubber band with three silver metal shapes on it, all with six sides and could be split into two small triangles and a rectangle, with a strange pattern on the middle shape. I always wore them.

Arthur, Morgana and I were in the car with Tommy driving. Morgana seemed quite content talking to Tommy, chatting about a range of topics. Arthur, on the other hand, just stared out of the window, arms crossed. I looked between the two Pendragon kids – since I was in the middle – frowning slightly. I couldn't figure out how Morgana was such a lively and bubbly person, talking to everyone, while Arthur was more reserved, distancing himself from everyone but his friends and family. I mean, the only reason he talked to me was because Morgana – and probably his parents – made him. I didn't mention it though; I just slouched back into the seat and folded my hands in my lap.

"So, Merlin." Tommy asked, after a few moments of silence in the car. "Looking forward to being the new kid?"

I looked up at the twenty-two year old red head, biting my lip slightly. It was a nervous tick.

"N-Not particularly." I mumbled. "Don't do well with new p-people, to be honest."

"Oh, you'll be fine." Tommy smiled. "Sure Morgana will give anyone hell for ya."

"Oh, you know I will, Tommy." Morgana giggled, elbowing my in the side. "And Lancelot will be there too, he practically sees you as a brother, he won't let anything happen to you."

I laughed a little. Morgana was right; Lance was extremely protective of his friends. Because we were friends for so long, we thought of each other as family, and he being older than me saw me as a younger brother. So, he went into 'big brother' mode when it came to me, most of the time. That was how he was.

"Have you ever seen Lance mad?" I asked, smiling a little.

"No, don't think so..." Morgana thought. "Arthur, have you?"

Arthur shrugged, still not speaking and not even looking our way.

"Well, trust me when I say that you never want to." I told them. "It's scary as hell, even if it's not aimed at you."

"How do you know about it?" Arthur suddenly asked, surprising the rest of us.

I snapped out of the surprise quite quickly, turning round slightly only to look into light blue-grey eyes.

"Well, this kind of ties in with why Lance formed a bad opinion on private schools. It was a few months before my dad died and I left." I explained. "Mine and Lance's dads had taken us to the park, where a few kids our age from the private school were. They didn't take too kindly to me, but were fine with Lance. Though, Lance being Lance didn't like the fact that they thought it necessary to target me that day. It was the only time I had seen him get like that. Even his dad hadn't."

Arthur nodded, turning back to the window. Well. It was progress... I guess.

* * *

"Holy shit!" I breathed, as we pulled up to the school.

My eyes had gone so wide; I thought they were going to pop out of my head. I mean, this place wasn't a school! It was a fucking castle! Oh geez, it was Hogwarts! How ironic! The whole school was surrounded by an iron gate, a court yard surrounding the building. A fountain was placed in the middle of it, an equal distance away from the gate at the front doors of the school. This was nothing like Ealdor.

"Everything alright?" Morgana asked, concerned. "Merlin, you don't look too well."

"It's..._bi_g!" I gulped. "_Really _big. Probably three times as big as Ealdor, probably more!"

And now I was panicking. How fun. I gripped the handle of my backpack, my knuckles turning white from the force. I was practically frozen in place; watching large groups of people make their ways into the school, talking loudly. I was way in over my head here.

It was at that moment when an arm was dropped around my neck. I will say now that I could not be held responsible for lashing out at whoever it was. It was when I had one of their arms pinned behind their back when I realised it was Gwaine. Hurriedly, I released my grip on him, taking two large steps backwards, blushing furiously.

"I told you not to." Lancelot sighed, walking over to me. "It's alright, Magic. You'll be fine. Promise."

I nodded, a little too erratically.

"Sorry, mate." Gwaine grinned. "Damn, your good, great reflexes."

"Yeah you wouldn't think so though." Lancelot laughed. "Merlin here's as clumsy as hell."

"Shut up, Lance." I whined, smiling a little.

"But it's true! Besides, they'll find out soon."

"Arsehole."

"You don't mean that."

Lancelot threw an arm around my neck, steering me towards the doors with everyone. Oh, balls.

* * *

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	8. A Small Panic

**Authors Note: ****HEYO! XD Please tell me what you think, I would love to know XD Please review XD**

**PLEASE NOTE: I've only seen series 1 of Merlin, since my mum hasn't got the rest of them yet – I'm working on it, don't worry :3 – so until then I shall do an AU fic XD My **_**FIRST EVER**_** AU FANFIC! XD **

**I have read **_**a lot **_**of Merthur fanfics, so I know of a few characters, so they'll be making an appearance... don't be mad if I write them wrong.**

**I own nothing and no one, apart from the following: Mr Anhora**

**Hope you enjoy ;)**

**Arthur **

I still didn't know what to think of Merlin. He was strange. Unbelievably strange. And something was a little off about him. I mean, he pinned Gwaine's arm behind his back like it was nothing! That had never happened to my friend before! Then there was that weird thing with Lance. Sure, they had been friends since birth pretty much, but I could tell there was something they were hiding. He was a mystery, Merlin. A mystery I wanted to solve. He was usually watching me, probably thinking I didn't notice. Like in the car that morning. It was a little strange how he was just staring, a small frown on his pale face.

Walking through the doors of the school meant we were met with a large group of people. I heard a small sound to my right, only to find a frightened Merlin trying to back out of the doors. His eyes had gone wide, face paled even more. He really didn't look comfortable with any of this at hall. _Huh, he wasn't lying when he said he didn't do well with new people. _Lancelot was at his side instantly, whispering something to him. This was going to be an interesting day.

Morgana, Leon and Elyan had split off from the rest of us, heading to their registration room. Thankfully, the rest of us were in the same room for that, otherwise I think Merlin may have had a panic attack. As the seven of us made our way through the long halls of the large building, passing by the white washed walls and numerous doors, I noticed people staring at the Irish boy within our group. Merlin ended up staying close to Lancelot, as if he would be hidden if staying with his friend. I rolled my eyes. I know I said that he would fit in well with us...but these kinds of things made my thought seem utterly wrong. I don't know why I felt guilty or angry at myself when I thought that. That had never happened before, with no one. No one at all. Why was it happening now, with _Mer_lin?

* * *

Our registration/form room was one of the music classrooms. Our form tutor, Mr Anhora, was one of the music teachers at the school, one of the best actually. He was one of those teachers that you could talk too, though he was quite weird. He had a thing for fantasy and magic, like: unicorns, dragons, witches, wizards. Things like that. He was _one _of the only teachers that I actually got along with. Lancelot took Merlin up to Mr Anhora, while the rest of us found a table large enough for the seven of us. As we sat down, I was going to bring up the subject of Merlin, find out their thoughts about him. But, as it turned out, _I _didn't have to.

"Merlin is just so adorable." Freya smiled. "He's like a shy little puppy!"

"He is sweet." Gwen agreed. "Not that I'm surprised, what with everything Lance has told me."

"He's an alright kid." Percival nodded. "Need's to come out of his shell though."

"It's fun to mess with him." Gwaine beamed. "I like this kid, he can handle himself. Nice addition to our circle of awesomeness."

I shook my head slightly. Gwaine had being calling us all that for years. I was fine with it at first, but hearing it practically every day got annoying.

"Don't you guys think he's...strange?" I asked, glancing at Merlin, who was still talking to Mr Anhora, for the moment. "Don't you feel like he's hiding something?"

"Everyone's like that, Arthur." Freya told me.

"Everyone hide's things from people." Gwen added.

"Especially those they've just met."

"And anyone knew seems weird to you."

"Just give him a chance. You might like him."

"In more ways than one." Gwaine chuckled under his breath.

I managed to kick Gwaine under the table, before Lancelot and Merlin appeared. Lancelot took the seat next to Gwen, while Merlin sat next to me, the Irish boy slumping down in the chair so it looked like he was trying to slip under the table to hide. His eyes were darting nervously all over the place, biting his lip and his left hand came up to rub at the back of his neck. I kind of felt a little sorry for him.

Lancelot, Gwen, Freya, Percival and Gwaine had all started up their individual conversations, Merlin and I the only two on the table staying quiet. The kid still looked as if someone or something was going to jump out and attack him at any moment. It made me wonder how he got like this around people, made me wonder what would drive someone to start behaving like this around people. I was curious. But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something about him... Regardless, I ended up nudging him slightly with my elbow. Merlin jumped, deep blue eyes flying to me, fearful. He relaxed a little when he found it was me and not some monster wanting to eat his brain or whatever.

"Um... Everything, uh... Everything alright?" I asked, awkwardly, not knowing how to talk to him.

"Not really, no." Merlin sighed, shakily, looking around the room again. "Not good with large groups of people or new people really. Unless I'm with someone I know. But then it depends how many people I'm around. The more people I don't know or are around, the more people I know I need to have near me so I don't start to panic and ramble, which is what I'm doing now, and oh my God it's hard to breath."

Blinking rapidly, trying to process what sounded like a bunch of gibberish, I finally realised what he had said. Right, he needed to calm down. Having a panic attack on the first day of school wasn't the best way to start off, especially since I knew no one who could actually help someone that was having a panic attack.

"Ok, dude, breath. Calm down. Think of... God, I don't know! This of happy things." I suggested, quietly. "Think of your mum!"

* * *

After a few moments, Merlin's breathing seemed to have slowed down a lot, and he didn't look like he was about to pass out. I wondered how no one else on the table didn't overhear that, but I didn't dwell on that too much.

"Better?" I asked.

"Yeah. Thanks, Arthur." he replied, giving me a small smile.

I gulped. _Pull yourself together, Arthur! He's just smiling! People smile, especially when they're grateful!_

"No worries." I breathed. "So, mind telling me what's got you so on edge?"

Merlin blushed heavily, staring down at the floor, playing with the neckerchief around his neck. On anyone else that piece of cloth would have seemed weird and stupid. On Merlin, it looked right.

"I haven't had the best...experiences with people I don't know." Merlin told me.

"Care to explain?" I asked, quickly adding that he didn't have to after seeing him cringe slightly.

"I know people think I'm weird, and strange, and a freak. They're all right, I know that. But when people I first meet realise this...some tend to get rather nasty with how they handle it. I know that loads of people have to deal with bullies, but it's still not nice to be the one being victimized. That started from an early age, the same time that I met Lance. That's why those few months before my dad died, and my mum and I moved, those kids in the park targeted me. Because I'm different in a way that most people can't comprehend and it scares them or they just don't care and want to make me feel worthless and useless. But hey, just got to grin and bear it, huh?"

Merlin ended his small speech with another smile, and something inside me ached. I didn't like the feeling. I never liked it when I knew someone was a victim of bullying, always helping those I knew that were. That was probably why I started feeling a little protective over my new friend. _Or is it? _I blinked when that thought popped into my head, pushing it aside, and focusing back on the embarrassed boy in front of me.

"Don't worry so much, you idiot." I told him. "We won't let anything happen to you."

Merlin glanced back up at me.

"You're a little bit of a prat, you know that right." Merlin replied, eyes widening and hand covering his mouth as soon as he said it. "Shit, I'm sorry, I..."

"It's fine. I've been called worse." I grinned. "Besides, I need my mates to not be afraid to call me out when I'm being a complete jackass or about to do something stupid. Not that that will ever happen of course.

Merlin just shook his head, smiling slightly.

"Prat." he mumbled.

Ok, so maybe I judged him a bit _too _quickly. But there was still something about him that made him seem a little...off. And I needed to know what.

* * *

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